Stapling device



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 29. 1959 n VT N w y 2 mm /A y m 6 [4 F H 6 E a i r. Q w w. F 17 i m 6 z, m v 52% p 12, 1961 H. J. STARR 2,999,241

STAPLING DEVICE Filed Jan. 29, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W lV/f W] :12; 35

INVENTOR. HENRY J. STARR lax/7W7. 6M

ATTORNEY 2,999,241 STAPLING DEVICE Henry J. Starr, 7 Sedgwick Ave., Darien, Conn. Filed Jan. 29, 195% Ser. No. 789,871 2 (Ilaims. (Cl. 149) This invention relates to an improved staple driving machine and more particularly to a novel staple magazine.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide an improved staple driving machine of such construction to permit the loading and refilling of the machine quickly and easily.

Another object of the invention is to provide in the staple magazine of a stapling machine a staple carrying track and convenient access means thereto comprising a staple track and push bar adapted to be reciprocably moved along said track and generally perpendicularly reciprocably shiftable out of and into said track while being at all times carried by said magazine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved stapling device comprising a staple magazine having a staple carrying track and a staple pusher slidably mounted therein, said pusher being adapted to be drawn out of said staple carrying track when it is desired to fill same with staples, yet being wholly retained by said staple magazine.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view partly in section of an airdriven stapler mechanism constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, and illustrating the magazine in the loaded or operating position;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the magazine of the stapler shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing details of the pusher element employed in the stapler of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the staple magazine shown in FIG. 1, but in the loading position;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragment of a sectional view similar to FIG. 5 showing the final movement of the pusher element from the solid outline position to the dotted outline position, the dotted outline position corresponding to the return of the pusher element into the staple track for reciprocal sliding movement therein; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the pusher element and its relation to the end retainer post of the magazine.

Illustrated in FIG. 1 is a stapler unit 10 embodying the principles of the present invention and comprising an assembly of a hand grip portion or handle unit 12 disposed at one end of a body portion or stapler housing 14 and a stapler magazine 16 disposed at the other end of the stapler housing. The body portion 14 may comprise a cylinder 18 provided with a cup-shaped piston 20 which is slidably disposed therein and normally held in its uppermost position by a piston return coil spring 22 having one end suitably secured within the cup of the piston and the other end suitably secured to the lower end of the cylinder 18.

Pinned to the piston 20 is a staple driver 24 which reciprocates in a staple drive track 26 defined by a nose piece constituted of a slotted jamb plate 28 and a flat backing or rear plate 30 (see FIGS. 1 and 4). The jamb plate 28 and the back plate 30 may be securely attached to the lower portion of the stapler housing 14 by suitable bolts 32. The lower portion of rear plate 39 may be secured to the magazine 16 by an appropriate angle bracket 31 and bolts 33,

?e.tented Sept. 12, 1961.

2y The handle 12 is provided with a pipe or supply line which is connected to a suitable source of compressed air. Proper control of the compressed air is accomplished by means of a suitable valve mechanism (not shown) inside the handle 12, such as for example the valve arrangement disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 682,812, filed September 9, 1957, now U.S. Patent No. 2,954,561, which disclosure is incorporated herein by reference. A trigger 34 may actuate the valve mechanism in a manner similar to that described in the aforesaid disclosure. The squeezing of the trigger 34 allows air under pressure to be admitted behind the piston 20, to break the seal between the top face of the piston 20 and the cylinder plug 36. A plentiful supply of air under pressure is then available to drive the piston 20 with a maximum of force. The quick action of the piston 20 will drive the staple driver 24 in the drive track 26 and drive a staple into the work. Upon release of the trigger 34, the piston spring 22 returns the piston Zii to its starting position, the supply of air to the cylinder 18 being automatically terminated until the trigger is again squeezed. The air behind the piston 20 may be suitably exhausted from cylinder 18 during the return stroke of the piston in much the same manner as described in the disclosure referred to hereinbefore.

in accordance with a preferred form of the invention, the magazine assembly 16 comprises a pair of parallel horizontally-elongated, vertical sides or frame walls 38 between which a pair of parallel, horizontally-elongated, vertically upright tracks 40 is disposed. Preferably, the lower extremities of the frame walls 38 are joined t0 gether by a horizontally elongated lower wall 38a to form a U-shaped frame unit 3838a38. In similar fashion, the lower extremities of the tracks 40 are joined together by a lower wall 40a to form a U-shaped track unit. In this manner, a series of bolts or rivets 42 passing through the frame wall 38a and track wall 40a may securely retain the tracks 40 in uniformly spaced relation to the frame walls 38. A flange 44 extending inwardly from the upper edge of each of the frame walls 38 and preferably secured thereto by bolts 45 is spacedly disposed above the respective staple track 40 to define an open-ended slot 46, see FIG. 2, and provide an open ended guideway or staple channel 48, located in a longitudinal direction hetween said frame walls 38 and said tracks 40 for slidably receiving therein a stick of staples 50. The flanges 44 include rear lip portions 52 which extend slightly arcuately upwardly to facilitate receiving a staple stick.

As shown most clearly in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, the forward end of the magazine 16 is adapted to be received in the bite section formed by juncture of the lower wall of body portion 14 with the rear plate 30 of the nose piece, the forward edges of the frame walls 38, 38a, and the flanges 44 being in abutment with the rear plate 39. The plate 30 is provided with a rectangular opening communicating with the staple channel 48 and the staple drive track 26 to accommodate the entry of the forward ends of tracks 40 to a point flush with the front face of plate 30, the dimensions of the rectangular opening being such as to constitute an extension of the staple channel 48 up to the staple drive track 26. This allows free passage ofthe staple 50 from the staple channel 48 into the drive track 26.

In order that the staple guideway 48 may be firmly retained in operative registry with the rectangular opening in plate 30 and drive track 26, locking means are provided. For this purpose, such means comprise an enlarged ear portion 54 on each of the flanges 44 which is fastened to the underside of the body portion 14 by means such as bolt 56 (see FIG. 4).

In order to feed staples uniformly into the staple channel 48 and thence into the drive track 26, there is pro vided a staple pusher assembly comprising a U-shaped pusher element 58 having a U-cross section similar in shape to staples 50 and which rides in the staple channel 38. Pusher element 58 may be resiliently urged toward the nose-end of the magazine by an elongated helical spring 60. This spring 60 preferably runs from the pusher element 58, to which it is firmly anchored, to between the staple tracks 46 and over a sheave 62 which is rotatably mounted between said tracks 4-0 adjacent the nose end of the magazine. The spring 60 terminates at a point 64, see PK 1, where it is suitably fastened to the lower wall 4%.

The pusher element 58 is provided with a projecting tab 66 extending between and through the spaced flanges 44, see FIGS. 1 and 2, which tab constitutes a stop to engage the rear surface 68 on the body portion 14 and arrest the progress of the pusher element. This arresting action prevents the edge of the pusher elementfrom entering the drive track 26 and coming under the driver 24 when staple channel 48 is exhausted of staples 56.

In accordance with the invention, the staple pusher 58 is adapted to be drawn out of the staple channel 48 when it is desired to fill same with staples, yet the staple pusher is retained at all times by the staple magazine 16. For this purpose, each track 49 terminates at its rear end just short of the rear ends of frame walls 38 which permits the pusher element 58 to be substantially vertically downwardly retracted out of the staple channel 48. Upward retraction of the pusher element 58 out of staple channel 48 is prevented by flanges 44. Removal of the staple pusher 58 from the staple channel 48 by rearward longitudinal movement of the staple pusher is prevented by the combined actions of the flanges 44 and a depression or indentation 70 in the bight portion of said staple pusher, at the forward end, see FIG. 3, which depression engages a stop and/ or guide means comprising a cylindrical rod or post 72 mounted on an extension or lip 74 on lower well 4812. The guide post 72 is loosely receivable in a slotted opening 76' in the depression 70 as the staple pusher is downwardly retracted from the staple channel 48. The lip 7 extends from a point slightly ahead of the rear edge of track 40- rearwardly and downwardly to a point slightly behind the rear edge of track 4d. The lower frame wall 38:: is slightly shorter at its rear end than the lower wall 43:! which permits the lip 74 to incline downwardly and thereby define notch-like openings 7 8 as viewed in FIG. 1, between each lateral edge of lip 74 and the lower edges of track walls 40. As best seen in FIG. 5, the staple pusher may be retracted downwardly out of the staple channel 48 by moving the staple pusher downwardly so that the guide post 72 passes through the slotted opening, then lodged in notch-like openings 78.

The staple pusher 58 is provided with a pair of finger grips or handles 80 which are conveniently mounted thereon to facilitate manual movement of the staple pusher.

It wil be noted that the slotted opening 76 is sufficiently long to permit the movement of the staple pusher 58 into the notched openings 78, and that the staple pusher may be retainably held in such position under the influence of the spring tension of spring 60 acting upon the pusher element 58". In this manner, both hands of the operator are available for use in reloading the magazine without the possibility of dropping or misplacing the pusher element. 1

As a feature of the invention, means are provided for rapidly and efficiently returning thestaple pusher 58 into the staple channel after the stapler supply has been replenished. Such means may comprise flicking the rear end of the staple pusher downwardly from the position shown in FIG. 5. Such action serves to rockably pivot the staple pusher 58 about the rear edge of the lip 74 which acts as a fulcrum and causes the staple pusher to move slightly rearwardly out of lodgement of notch 78. The result of this movement causes the staple pusher to assume the position shown in FIG. 6. Under the conditions illustrated in FIG. 6, a portion of the stapler pusher 53 extends into the staple channel 48, while the stapler pusher is held in position through the combined actions of the flanges 44, the guide post 72, and the spring 60. Thereafter, a reverse flicking movement applied to the staple pusher 58 causes it to assume the dotted outline position shown in PEG. 6, in which posit-ion'the action of coil spring 60 draws the staple pusher into the normal staple feeding or loaded position. The entire operation of flicking the staple pusher in opposite directions may be accomplished in a matter of a fraction of a second.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be elfected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A stapler magazine having an elongated staple channel including a loading end adapted to receive a stick of staples, a spring biased staple pusher reciprocably movable in said channel and urging the stick of staples through said channel away from the loading end, a pair of spaced elongated flanges secured to and forming the upper wall of said channel to restrain upward movement of said stapler pusher when said stapler pusher is in said channel, a guide rod mounted at the loading end of said channel and disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said staple channel, a detent in the forward end of said staple pusher, a slot in said staple pusher arranged in combination with said detent and said guide rod so that at the extreme loading end position of said staple pusher said detent engages said guide rod and said slot is in registry with said guide rod, said staple channel having suitably foreshortened side walls at the loading end thereof for the generally vertical depression of said staple pusher out of said channel and the simultaneous entry of said guide rod in said slot when said guide rod-"and sa-id slot are in registry, and a notch in the end of said foreshortened walls for retaining said staple'pusher out of said channel, there being suflic-ient play between said guide rod and said slot for the movement of said staple pusher into said notch, thereby facilitating the loading of said stapler magazine.

2. A stapler magazine according to claim 1, said staple pusher being returnable to said channel by a vertical pivotal movement of said'staple pusher about a fulcrum adjacent the base of said guide rod in a downwardly direction generally vertically perpendicular to said channel suflicient to dislodge said staple pusher from said notch, and by a final movement in the opposite direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,996,640 Case Apr. 2, 1935 2,715,220 Spencer Aug. 16, 1955 2,781,515 Julifs Feb. 19, 1957' 2,801,418 Jenny Aug. 6, 1957 2,857,596 Allen Oct. 28, 1958 

